since this is the second or third time that duanek has brought up this topic I was agree with him (again). I realize that ManAct might want to establish a rapport with Santana and the staff but this is ridiculous.

I’d prefer Santana off days from catching only when there’s a left handed starter, sit Hafner, DH Santana. Santana should be in the lineup every day when he’s been hitting like he has been. It will be interesting to see if they do that tomorrow or Saturday, going against Oakland’s leftiesThe Branyan trade is already paying off for the Tribe. It’s nice to see someone who actually looks like they’re trying playing 1b. Now if only they’d call up Brantley to start in place of Crowe, release Hernandez and call up Josh Rodriguez to start at 2nd (I’ll take Nix as the backup infielder), I’d be content with the Indians player development strategy. As it stands, there is still no clear strategy. I like how in April I was saying: something isn’t right with Laporta, that it looked like the injuries were affecting his swing and that he should go on the DL or to Columbus to get things straightened out. Then towards the end of May, Laporta swinging the bat a little better but needs to play every day. Weird, they send him down, he starts hitting home runs, called up, and so far he looks like the Laporta from last year, driving the ball well. So, I’d have to say it was exactly as we thought, the hip injury was bothering him early in the year, and then as the hip started to get better the lack of consistent ABs were an issue. So, why was Laporta playing in the majors after the first 2 weeks when it was clear that something was wrong with his swing, and Branyan was called up, and there was no longer even an opportunity for every day at bats? Why do the Indians insist on playing injured, ineffective players, and risk aggravating injuries? Martinez and Hafner in ’08, and Sizemore and Laporta both playing injured the past 2 years. When are they going to learn?Also, with Valbuena, he’s been swinging the bat well in Columbus so far, who knows what would have happened had they sent Valbuena down at the beginning of May as many fans wanted, he might have been able to get things figured out in Columbus by the time Cabrera went down. It’s so frustrating to watch this team make such obviously stupid decisions when developing their young players. Nix and Hernandez being up here when they have 3 second basemen down in Columbus who actually qualify as prospects is just the latest asinine decision.

ST, I wholeheartedly agree. You can’t make out any plan that this FO has as far as prospects. LaPorta gets benched 50% of the time. Valbuena plays far too much. Washed up vets get signed to keep the prospects from advancing.

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